Category Archives: Case study

Keith Hepburn of Target Tuition Driving School, contacted me last year asking for a rebrand of his business. His plan was to get a new logo designed, business cards, vehicle signage and some new portraits taken. It’s been a year long project in the making. Here’s a look at how his plan came to fruition.

Original logo

His original logo (shown left) is perfectly okay. It’s clear and recognisable but it’s a little dated.

Initially Keith didn’t want to deviate too much away from what he had already but on the flipside he also didn’t want to lose the opportunity for me to do something ‘new and great’. So the decision was made to go full steam ahead on a completely different logo.

His no no’s were stipulated as:

No ‘L’ Plates

No arrows

No dart boards

No abbreviations eg. TT

Ok no problem. Errr…so, what do I do now?

Research! I noticed that L plates were used a lot on driving school logos. So was the steering wheel or the (tyre) wheel so I definitely needed something different. It’s always good to get a clear idea of what your client doesn’t want but it’s equally important to get a steer (no pun intended) on what they find attractive.

The Redesigned Logo

I came with a ‘negative space’ logo. One where it’s not immediately obvious that there’s a secondary image in the logo

Can you see the almost hidden graphic without me telling you what/where it is? If not, then look again.

The pentagon shape was a way for me to get an arrow (target) into the design without it being a literal arrow. And the E in ‘Target’ is an obvious…well, I don’t think I need to spell it out. Or maybe I do. Can you see the car in the negative space? And the gear stick in the letter E on Target?

Other mediums

I then went on to insert the logo onto other mediums such as double sided business cards where it was Keith’s idea to add the appointment details on the back.

Photography

Portrait images of Keith and his car were taken in order for him to promote his business. He’s got a great success record of people passing their test. He has a calming demeanour which is a great characteristic to have when teaching someone how to drive.

The Car

The sign writing for the car was designed by myself and printed at Sign-Tific Ltd who were also able to provide me with a template for the vehicle. I think the car looks gorgeous. Keep a look out for it driving on the roads in and around Enfield. It really is a thing of beauty. Honk. Honk.

Testimonial

Here’s what Keith had to say about his logo on facebook.

Last thoughts

I almost forgot to tell you that when the initial designs were presented to Keith he said: ‘I cannot stand red’! He felt that it was a colour that was difficult to read. He’s right to a certain extent but it really depends on how the colour is used. But, this red stands out. That car will get noticed. And you know what? Sometimes it’s a good idea not to dismiss things straight away. Take a moment. Let it sink in a little. Give it time to digest. And then have another look at it. Thankfully this is exactly what Keith did and now he has a logo that he’s really proud of. To find out about more about Keith’s services and what he can do for you, take a look at www.targettuition.co.uk or give him a bell on 07958 294 959

Following on from the logo design branding blog published last week, let’s move onto the marketing aspects of the project. If you haven’t managed to read the rebranding story yet, please read it first as it forms a really good base for this follow up blog.

Enfield Market promotional material

As there were no actual photos of the new market (it hadn’t relaunched yet), I was asked to do some illustration as an aid to promote it.

The client

The Old Enfield Charitable Trust is a charity which serves the community of the Old Parish of Enfield. With the aid of grants, they aim to support families, individuals and community organisations in financial need. They manage Enfield Market which runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Design tender

I was approached in mid July by The Trust and asked to tender for the branding and design of their work. The project entailed logo design and marketing material which was going to culminate in the relaunch of the Enfield Market on 1st October in time for British Food Fortnight. The main brief was that they wanted three logos.

The Old Enfield Charitable Trust: established to aid the community. They award grants and welcome donations

Enfield Market: There’s been a market in the square since 1303

The Market Place: The square that Enfield Market resides in. There will be different events hosted in it and The Trust want to promote it as the place to be.

As we enter into a new year I just want to take the time to reflect on 2014. Overall, it was a fantastic year for the business and I got involved with some really juicy projects. And when I say juicy, I'm talking nutribullet here. There were a lot of highlights and thankfully - not that many negatives. My top three projects of the year are highlighted below.

Hamilton Chase

Coming in at a very high number three of my top projects for the year is the Hamilton Chase Rebranding project. I really love getting my teeth into rebranding a business. But it's not for the faint hearted. A lot of trust is put into you to get it right. I feel privileged to have been an integral part of this project. It wasn't just a new logo but redesigning all of their marketing material, including stationery, brochures, signage and adverts. What a project and what great clients! Honestly, if you're looking to buy or rent in Barnet, check out these people first. They can be found at hamiltonchase.co.uk. They really are top notch property experts. Read the blog.

Redesigned logo

The Edmonton Summer Festival

Oh my days. Where do I start? I had to write three blogs to cover this one. From the bespoke illustration and design/branding of the entire festival to the three day photography fest. I loved every minute of it. Read the first blog.
Design & Illustration

The Palmers Green Triangle Clock

Coming in at the top has to be The Clock situated in Palmers Green. What an amazing project to be part of. How many graphic designers can say that they've designed a clock that will be in situ for many years to come? Errr, I guess that there aren't many but my hand is riding high. You can read the blog here.
The clock

So there you have it. My top three projects of the year. It's important to note that if you're one of my clients and your project isn't mentioned, that doesn't mean that it wasn't a great project. These ones just had the edge for different reasons.

A big welcome to 2015. Hoping that it's as prosperous and interesting as last year.

The brief

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been working with an amazing business called Hamilton Chase – a family run estate agents based in Barnet.

They approached me with a view to rebrand their business (see original logo left). They had bought the company almost a decade ago and had inherited the logo and the shop décor. and now thought that it was time to make their own mark and celebrate their tenth year anniversary.→

This is the last post in the trio series for the Edmonton Summer Festival. From music to dance, and crafts to henna and face painting. There was something for all the family to do. A relaxing time could be had by all by bringing a picnic basket and letting the kids try the free sports activities situated next to the music tent. And not forgetting the ducks. Did anyone remember to bring some bird seed for them? Whoops! I didn’t. Here’s a selection of photos that I took over the three days. See if you can find a photo of yourself.→

Gosh, I am a greedy moo. I had the pleasure in designing the posters/banners for the promotion of this amazing festival AND also being the official photographer but I am certainly not complaining!

I spent a lot of time in front of the music stage getting snaps of the artists in the red and blue tent, which cast a hue over their faces but it made it all the more atmospheric and sort of…intimate. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there for the entire duration so here’s a quick snapshot of what happened over at the music stage.→

I was absolutely thrilled to have been asked to design the Edmonton Festival promotional material for this festival. I went last year and absolutely loved every minute of it so to be an integral part of it this year was going to be amazing.

Late last year I heard via a friend that the Palmers Green Association were looking for a a skilled person to design a clock for The Palmers Green Triangle, N13 – situated in the middle of a bustling shopping area used by residents and locals alike. She’d recommended me to the Chairman of Green Lanes Business Association and Palmers Green resident – Costas Georgiou.

Now, let’s get this straight, I’m a graphic designer who designs logos, brochures and other printed material, so designing solid structures like this is definitely not my forte and I can honestly say that I nearly ran a mile in terror at doing something that I’ve never done before. You see, if I do something, then it can’t be half baked. I have to give it my all and what I knew about designing structures was absolutely zilch. But there’s that saying: ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway‘ so I went for it. After all, if you don’t push yourself then how can you improve?→